In mythology, Kea, the westernmost of the Cycladic islands — just 12 nautical miles off the coast of the tip of Attica and 52 from Piraeus — was once the home of nymphs who lived in its dense forests. Due to its abundant water sources, it was known as Hydroussa. One day, a lion appeared and began to chase the nymphs, who escaped to Sirius — the brightest star in the sky. Sirius then burned Hydroussa and the other Cyclades with its powerful rays — and, for the most part, deprived them of their verdant glory for good.

The lion, however, is still there — albeit in imposing, sculpted rock form, 6 meters long at Liontas, 1.5 kilometer northeast of Hora (or Ioulida), the island’s capital. Kea, which has a total area of 130 square kilometers, has also retained some rare and superb oak forests. The greatest part of its natural beauty, however, seems hidden in its wide network of mostly stone-paved old trails and footpaths, some 36 km in all, which make it a walkers’ haven.

Kea, also known as Tzia, flourished in the pre-Classical period (7th-6th centuries BC), when it comprised four independent and economically strong city-states: Ioulida, Karthaia, Poiiessa and Korissia.